'Vampire Diaries' recap: Episode 16, '1912'

The Amy Winehouse lyrics are fitting for this episode in which Damon tries to help Stefan with his drinking problem. And I’m talking about blood, not alcohol.

Stefan seemingly has two extremes. He either feeds off animals and goes cold turkey on human blood, or he feeds off humans and is so addicted he can’t stop himself before draining the person of their blood and killing them.

Damon tries to teach Stefan to control himself when feeding on humans and to drink in “moderation.” (Maybe treatment for bloodoholics is different than treatment for alcoholics.) Stefan goes overboard, and Damon has to pull him away from a girl he’s feeding on. Then Elena walks by and looks appalled.

After this incident, Stefan tells Damon he doesn’t want his help. Damon cautions Stefan from using that statement, reminding him of the last time he said that in 1912, after feeding on a human for the first time in 50 years and accidentally killing her. The 1912 incident is what caused Stefan to go on the blood-hungry killing spree that earned him the nickname “the ripper.”

More importantly, flashbacks to 1912 show the last time there was someone going around murdering founder’s council members. This has happened in present day Mystic Falls with the murder of the medical examiner and Bill Forbes and the attempted murder of Alaric.

Up until and through most of this episode, most of the evidence points to Meredith as the killer. But at the end we learn that Alaric may actually be committing the crimes in some blacked-out crazy mode. Apparently, going crazy and losing sense of time is what happened to Stephanie Gilbert, Jonathan Gilbert’s granddaughter and the person who committed the founder’s council murders in 1912.

We’ll find out more about how Alaric has gone crazy in the next episode, but it appears it’s somehow tied to his wearing of the Gilbert ring.

Other highlights from tonight’s episode:

Best Damon Quote(s): Damon was particularly witty in this episode. Here are just a few of the good quotes.

After Elena tells Damon he should have compassion for Bonnie and her mom (the later of whom he turned into a vampire to save Elena), Damon says: “Her and her mom must really be hurting right now. Should I send lasagna?”

“Now you’re just being mean,” Elena responds.

Damon quips back: “I’m mean. You hate me. The earth is back on its axes”